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Pope Francis and the Liturgy (29153)

COMMENTARY

No genius is needed to figure out that Pope Francis is not a liturgist the way Pope Benedict was.

But the fear that Francis’ papacy may mark the “end of the reform of the reform” of the liturgical changes that were introduced after the Second Vatican Council is, frankly, unfounded.

Let me present the evidence.

Although his liturgical gestures as pope have not amounted to much so far, his ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires convincingly shows his mindset on the liturgy.

In Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Bergoglio did not express significant interest in the extraordinary form of the rite. However, he put up no resistance to it either. Following Summorum Pontificum, he made the traditional Mass readily available. In fact, Buenos Aires is probably the Latin-American city with the largest number of Masses celebrated in the extraordinary form.

His lack of major interest was not hostility or indifference. Instead, he was concentrating on a far more daunting task: making sure that all of the faithful in his archdiocese had access to a decent Mass.

Let me explain. In Latin America, beside the beautifully and carefully celebrated Masses associated with the major popular devotions, liturgical abuses are still alive and constitute a massive problem in the region.

It is not a situation of omitting or changing the rubrics here and there. The liturgical problems are much more serious. They consist of events like priests “concelebrating” the Mass with the youth at the rhythm of tropical songs in Colombia; “consecrating” cakes with Guayaba marmalade in Venezuela; a “reggae” Mass in Panama; or a priest celebrating with vestments portraying Batman and Robin while squirting holy water with a green-and-red water pistol in Mexico.

This is no exaggeration. Such abuses are happening now.

Cardinal Bergoglio’s efforts for reform in Buenos Aires were not exclusively aimed at the liturgy. He sought to change priestly and sacramental life in general.

One of the most important and successful transformations in the archdiocese, with a significant impact on liturgy, was the cardinal’s approach to the “villero” priests.

“Villa miseria” (miserable town) is the name Argentineans give to shanty towns in major cities. The villero priests were those who dedicated their pastoral ministry to work in these impoverished, usually very violent urban environments.

Although full of pastoral zeal, most of them were identified with Latin America’s theology of liberation, which incorporated Marxist ideas into Christianity as an indispensable means of understanding and dealing with social injustice. And, in general, they had a rebellious attitude towards authority, liturgical rubrics included.

In an interview for a book I recently finished about Pope Francis and his fellow Argentinian Jesuits, Jesuit Father Ignacio Perez del Viso, who taught Jorge Bergoglio as a seminarian, explained that, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he completely changed the dynamics of the priests and the shanty towns they served.

Father Ignacio explained, “In the ’70s, most bishops would be in constant tension with the villero priests, and, every now and then, one of them would be suddenly transferred or removed altogether.”

“By the ’90s, bishops would tolerate them … but Bergoglio, from the moment he became auxiliary [bishop] in Buenos Aires, changed all that,” he said.

The difference was that Cardinal Bergoglio embraced the priests and their ministry. He would visit them in the shanty towns, send them to rest if they were tired and replace them himself at their parish for a few days. He would personally take care of them if they were in bed sick — essentially, he looked after their particular needs.

The only time he removed a villero priest from a shanty town was to protect him from a local drug lord who sent death threats.

And with the same fatherly solicitude that he used to care for his priests, the archbishop requested that they return to wearing clerics; refrain from using “batata” (an Argentinean sweet potato) instead of unleavened bread to celebrate Mass; and use songs from Catholic songbooks rather than political or secular songs.

Most often, he used persuasion with his pastors to transform the liturgical abuses in Buenos Aires, but also, in the words of a fellow Jesuit, “he never flinched when tough measures were required.”

With the process of secularization and stiffer selection criteria applied to priestly vocations, the number of seminarians dropped during Cardinal Bergoglio’s years as archbishop. But friends and foes agree that the quality of the celebration and preaching dramatically improved in the archdiocese.

I can personally attest that a Catholic’s chances to attend a well celebrated Novus Ordo Mass, with an edifying homily, anywhere in the city on any given day, are very, very high. As someone who travels Latin America and the U.S. on a regular basis, I can attest that very few other major urban areas, if any, can provide a similar rate.

Rich, traditional liturgical gestures at Mass are highly edifying. I have the blessing of living in an archdiocese led by an archbishop who is an expert in the theology of the liturgy, and I attend a parish with similar treasures.

But the number of Catholics who live under the liturgical tyranny of well-meaning priests who believe that the Mass is theirs and not the Lord’s is way too high in the U.S., in Latin America and around the world.

Returning to the faithful the right to attend a Mass that more fully transmits the experience of actually being the summit of Christian life is still a pending revolution, in many regions.

Pope Francis’ vision of the liturgy as a crucial part of personal conversion, as well as his pastoral experience in Buenos Aires, should be a source for hope rather than suspicion.

Comments

As far as TLM. Remind you that in 2007, just two days after Benedict XVI issued new rules for using the liturgical forms that preceded the Second Vatican Council. Cardinal Bergoglio was one of the first bishops in the world to respond by instituting a Tridentine Mass in Buenos Aires.It was celebrated weekly.

Posted by Gus on Sunday, May 19, 2013 2:25 PM (EDT):

Do you really think “priest” celebrating mass with vestments portraying Batman and Robin are catholic priest ? I tell you they are not , they do not belong to our church. There are thousands of sects in the world that look for ridicule the Catholic Church, persecute our church by using the media and Internet to set up histories that divide the church . Did the author of this article bother to verify the authenticity of those acts? Did he check if they were catholic? Did he ask priest’s name , Monsignor’s name ,parish or location? Or he just took a story from the Internet and assumed it was true.

We are an organized church. There is authority . That is one of the reasons we are Catholics. Please be careful about foolish stories you read in the Internet . If you believe the acts the are detailed in this article were done by catholic priest, please send prove of it. If you do not have prove, please do not continue spreading lies

Posted by tg on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:39 PM (EDT):

Maxine to your comment - Amen!

Posted by tg on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:37 PM (EDT):

“priest celebrating with vestments portraying Batman and Robin while squirting holy water with a green-and-red water pistol in Mexico” - this is the reason many in Latin America are leaving the Catholic Church and joing evangelical churches.” My grandparents and my dad from Mexico would have died if they had seen a Mass like that. My dad would have probably shouted “blasphemy”.

Posted by Maxine on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 11:08 AM (EDT):

BRAVO Anne (May 13, 2013)!!! I am so sick of everyone beating around the bush with obscure language in an effort to be “politically correct” or heaven forbid not “offend someone”. Until we begin to use language that clearly conveys the meaning of our Faith, nothing will change.
This should apply to more than the Liturgy. The Liturgy is more than a “celebration”; it is the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass; a memorial of how we became adopted sons and daughters of God and how we became recipients of the great gift of the Eucharist, Jesus’ own body and blood.

Abortion is murder! Homosexual acts are sodomy!, not an expression of “love” or a “relationship”. I keep saying the same thing! There is no such thing as a “liberal” Catholic or a “conservative” Catholic. One is either a Catholic or they are not, unless the Church is running a cafeteria.

Posted by Elizabeth on Monday, May 13, 2013 11:35 PM (EDT):

@Rev. Roger Bouche—using leavened bread for the Eucharist is illicit in the Roman Catholic Church. You should join the Eastern Rite.

I totally agree with John above. It Pope Francis really intends to renew our Liturgy - as Pope Benedict was attempting - it is going to take a very strong man to win this brawl. In the U.S.A. there is lots of New Age Mass, with puppets, frisbees, dancing, protestant music, disdain for Rubrics. I guess it is that way in many parts of the world, reading this article and some comments.
God help us!

Posted by ANNE on Monday, May 13, 2013 3:44 PM (EDT):

Indults are granted by the Vatican only.
Indults are permission for a special exception which would otherwise violate Church law.
There is a specific time limit, and detailed requirements for any indult.
Indults have nothing to do with indulgences.
Because an indult is granted for special exceptions only - they are very rarely granted world wide, and many times only for one individual.

Posted by John on Monday, May 13, 2013 1:02 PM (EDT):

I gather this article intends to be encouraging, aimed at persuading us that Pope Francis will aid in restoring Mass in general, including in the Extraordinary Form. As evidence, we have the idea that then-Card Bergoglio didn’t resist Summorum Pontificum, so Buenos Aires has more Masses offered in the Extraordinary Form than most other Latin cities.
I see.

I wish I felt that to be an encouraging sign.

I believe Summmorum Pontificum came about somewhere around July of 2007. In it, Pope Benedict declared that ANY priest, ANY community, had the right to pursue the traditional Mass. Yet now, almost six years later in May of 2013, I see precisely ONE parish in this archdiocese which offers the traditional Mass. That DOES constitute 100% growth in parishes that’re in communion with Rome, sure, but that’s one parish out of..well, I’d guess at least fifty. Not exactly the greatest batting average.
I don’t see any particular effort going on to improve upon that fact. I see no effort being made to train priests or seminarians in the Extraordinary Form. Not in channels that the archdiocese routinely uses. I’m hard pressed to explain how we expect that serious liturgical reform might happen otherwise. If I walk into the average parish here in the US, I don’t necessarily see a hint that anyone knows that Summorum Pontificum exists.

Then too, it’s one thing for a bishop to occasionally offer Mass in the place of one of his priests. It’s quite another for the Pope to provoke his bishops to act accordingly. I recall being shocked to learn that Pope John Paul II had issued instructions that a bishop could authorize a priest to celebrate Mass in the bishop’s own diocese. Apparently such celebrations—sometimes known as “indult” Masses because of the indulgence granted for it—could’ve been allowed as early as the mid-80’s. Trouble is, most bishops apparently didn’t see a need to offer such indults.

I see Pope Francis suffering the same problem.
I don’t imagine he’s terribly ecstatic about requiring his bishops to change their tune, but I’m not really convinced that we’ll see serious renewal come about by any other means.
If the bishop of Rome isn’t insistent about renewing the liturgy, his bishops likely won’t be much more assertive. If the bishops aren’t assertive, the faithful who loathe the traditional form will avoid it like a plague.

Ultimately, I don’t see serious renewal of liturgy coming about without a relatively public brawl.
I wish I could say otherwise.

Posted by Fr. Jack Feehily on Monday, May 13, 2013 11:37 AM (EDT):

Here we go again, more unsubstantiated reports of “clown Masses” to shore up the ROTR agenda. The new bishop of Rome is unlikely to do anything other than to lead by example. BTW, Pope Benedict was not a liturgist but a critic of liturgy and a promoter of his deeply held personal convictions. The Eucharist is celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm all over the US with good homilies to be found by those seeking them. Sadly we still have far too many priests and people interested in speedy liturgies. After all, we have to move onto the multi hour athletic contests and movies which are far more engaging.

Posted by ANNE on Monday, May 13, 2013 8:34 AM (EDT):

When it comes to the Catholic Faith - there is no such thing as “liberals” or “conservatives”.
They are either “FATITHFUL Catholics” - faithful to ALL the teachings of the Church included in the CCC, or
they are “Catholic HERETICS” and/or “Catholic SCHSIMATICS”.
Let’s all start using the correct terminology regarding dissenters.
______________

CCC: ” 2089 INCREDULITY is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it.
HERESY is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; ....
SCHISM is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Posted by ANNE on Monday, May 13, 2013 8:21 AM (EDT):

Regarding “the number of Catholics who live under the liturgical tyranny of well-meaning priests who believe that the Mass is theirs and not the Lord’s is way too high in the U.S., in Latin America and around the world” -
We each have a RESPONSIBILITY to report abuses of the Mass to the appropriate Diocese Bishop. If the abuse is not corrected, we must write to the US Papal Nuncio in Washington, DC and the Vatican.
All Priests, Bishops, etc are REQUIRED to adhere to GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal).
GIRM can be found on the Vatican and USCCB web sites.
If we are lazy and do not report abuses - we get what we deserve.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi – the way we pray, is the way we believe, is the way we live.

Posted by Kevin Burgess on Monday, May 13, 2013 6:47 AM (EDT):

Why this unfortunate habit of using the plural word ‘liberals’ when referring to dissenters? When a person rejects the legitimate teaching or disciplinary authority of Holy Mother Church by word or action, that is what they are.Using ordinary bread or potatoes for consecration at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is both disobedience and dissent by action. To say “I refuse to be believe this or that Doctrine or Magisterial teaching” or “I don’t agree that Holy Church has Christ’s Authority” is dissent by word. How easy it is to take upon ourselves the ‘rights’ dictated by our own authority! In fact, such people have become dissenters or even protest-ants.

Posted by Orange Dolphin on Sunday, May 12, 2013 11:46 PM (EDT):

Doing what Jesus, as the Church teaches, wants us to do: Eat Him as food for our spiritual journey, fulfills one of our obligations to Jesus. It takes a man in Holy Orders to confect the Eucharist, the unbloody sacrifice of Calvary. This Sacrament (Eucharist) tops what is called liturgy. It is Jesus, God Almighty. A mystery? Yes. Everything else: music, hieratic language, clothing, gesticulations, instruments, etc., can be distracting from the centrality of the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

Posted by Janet O'Connor on Sunday, May 12, 2013 9:07 PM (EDT):

Consider where this is coming from a writer on a book about the new Pope. Rorate by the way is sticking by its original article which was put out before the conclave.I am glad to know that he was trying to discipline priests on their dress and the bread they would use but three things still remain certain about Francis. He broke canon law on Holy Thursday and caused much confusion about the role of women in the Church mostly the Liturgy. Secondly he IS personally opposed to the Latin Mass and only allowed a hybrid type which drew the Faithful to the SSPX Parishes. He has no use for Anglicans who wish to enter like the last Pope did and as far as Vocations in Buenos Aires they shrunk unlike other cities in Argentina. He also seemed to be leaning towards “civil unions” for same sex couples.

Posted by Diego on Sunday, May 12, 2013 5:35 PM (EDT):

Dear Alejandro: I admire what you mention. People had told me—poorly thought—the opposite. And some youtubes (probably truncated)too. I welcome you’ve put a little light in it.

BTW, I travel to Buenos Aires in a few days: could you tell me 2 or 3 parishes where Vetus Ordo is celebrated?
Thank you!

Posted by Jon Wood on Sunday, May 12, 2013 1:17 PM (EDT):

Reverend Roger, my comment was on the Register, not our Holy Father, and my point is “my point” and doesn’t require your input. Stick to the story, make your own observations about the story. Most of us blog here to have our points heard, not corrected no matter how far off You may think they are!

Posted by E.M. on Sunday, May 12, 2013 10:34 AM (EDT):

“Buenos Aires is probably the Latin-American city with the largest number of Masses celebrated in the extraordinary form.”

NOT TRUE. JUST A LIE!

Posted by Janet O'Connor on Sunday, May 12, 2013 9:53 AM (EDT):

I am sorry but I tend to think this is too rosy of a picture of Pope Francis and it is not just from Rorate either. The fact of the matter is the Latin Mass is not to the new Pope’s liking (he only knows the NO since he was ordained in 1969 when it was promoted). Also the vocation shortages mentioned had a lot to do with Francis though in other cities they were increasing. And as has been mentioned at other blogs he is NOT in favor of the coming of Anglicans in the Church as the Pope Emeritus put forth in 2009. Francis says we need the Anglicans to stat where they are. Finally as Cardinal he was and may still be in favor of “civil unions” of same sex couples instead of “marriage” as the lesser of two evils”. This man is NOT the same as Pope Emeritus Benedict as far as their outlook on the Church.

Posted by Scott W. on Sunday, May 12, 2013 8:01 AM (EDT):

I love the traditional latin Mass and have been blessed to attend one for the past six months for the first time. In those six months I’ve quickly learned one rule: the worst enemy of traditionalists is the traditionalists themselves. Breathe into a paper bag people.

Posted by Stephanus on Sunday, May 12, 2013 7:56 AM (EDT):

As an Argentinean and Porteño I am afraid to say that Mr Bermúdez has been misinformed. Apart from the inexistance of Masses in the extraordinary form under S. P., it is commom to see ‘Misa Tango’ and ‘Misa Rock’ sponsored by the Archbishopry. The most common Mass songs in almost all the parishes in the archidiocesis are from ‘Misa Criolla’, folk-Mass. During the procession of Corpus Christi, the most popular and traditional in Buenos Aires, it is common to hear drums and see dancers of Candombe even in the face of former Cardinal Bergoglio.

Also, and what it is most important to me, in the whole diocesis of Buenos Aires, by order of the then Archbishop Bergoglio it is forbidden to receive Communion kneeling. You have to receive it standing either in the mouth or the hands (also an innovation introduce by Bergoglio).

Posted by stephen didovich on Sunday, May 12, 2013 7:14 AM (EDT):

liberals look at these Mass variations as new and creative
ways to reach the people

Posted by Fred on Sunday, May 12, 2013 1:21 AM (EDT):

“In fact, Buenos Aires is probably the Latin-American city with the largest number of Masses celebrated in the extraordinary form.”

This urban legend as been repeatedly debunked by informed sources. Are the editors of the Register in cahoots with the author on this for some reason, or just asleep at their desks?

Ryan: You are correct. Potatoes invalidates the mass. Glad you said “bread and wine” and not ‘unleavened bread…’, since I use leavened bread. May I recommend that Mr. Wood think in broader terms for the Register. An article may have, you are correct, some paucity of facts. With this I agree. However the Vicar of Christ is Vicar for more than Roman Catholics and their concerns about a reverent mass. He is also Vicar for all the other Catholics in the world. There is a photo of him on the internet concelebrating (in Buenos Aires), the Eastern Liturgy, where leavened bread is used and the liturgy is clearly reverent and beautiful. It is also sung with verve and strength, like tested faith… not so much like reggae.

Posted by C. on Saturday, May 11, 2013 9:43 PM (EDT):

Repeating these oft-debunked claims about the Tridentine Mass in Buenos Aires is a disservice to the Holy Father.

Posted by mark on Saturday, May 11, 2013 7:35 PM (EDT):

Dream On! We have a Mass that is blessing so many. I beg to differ!

Posted by Terah James on Saturday, May 11, 2013 6:20 PM (EDT):

If anyone in Rome is reading this, I would love to see Pope Francis make it mandatory for priests to preach and teach the fullness of the New Testament letters, in an expository fashion, so Catholics will fully understand & be able to explain the Christian faith, in a simple fashion.
The liturgy consists of TWO parts, the Liturgy of the WORD: and faith comes by hearing the word of God, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

For too many years, we have put all our focus on the Eucharist, at the expense of God’s Word. That is why each Catholic believes as he/she sees fit.

Let’s all remember it’s thanks to most Catholics that we have the liberal (God dishonoring) legislation in the US that we do. It is not good. Preach and teach God’s word. There is my way, your way and God’s way. God’s way must prevail. We learn God’s way, for the most part, on Sunday, from priests at Mass.

Posted by Robert-Paul LeMay on Saturday, May 11, 2013 6:09 PM (EDT):

My sincere hope is that Francis’s reluctance to be other than the Bishop of Rome may indicate taht at some point he will finally shed all the remnants of imperial Rome, e.g. Pontifex Maximus, pope, and one that even JP II seemed to shun; Vicar of Christ and be satisfied with simply being the Bishop of Rome and primus inter parus. It was also JP II who said that the biggest obstacle to reunion with the Orthodox was the pope. Also would be nice to stop comparing him with bishop Joseph Ratzinger (that is whom he is and not pope emeritus with the fight to the white cassock.) One should be reminded that the white garb is the result of a humble Domincan friar who became pope and refused to shed his habit. Perhaps Bishop Francis should assume the Jesuit garb. Yes, the mass should be reverently celebrted by priest and people, but more important is the reform of the Curia and the Vatican bank as well as the recognition ot the fact that the majority of priests who are sex offenders are no pederasts but homosexuals prying on adolescent boys. Let’s forget political correctness and call it what it is. In conclusion, I would argue that they are probably not truly priests as they were ordained fully knowing what they were and what their intentions were and therefor LIARS as they presented themselves for ordination.

Posted by Mary Dyer on Saturday, May 11, 2013 5:33 PM (EDT):

I believe that history will show that liberation theology is where Jesus would have placed his emphasis, that he would have been one of those living with the poor, one, as he did in his own time, who called for reform so that the rich wouldn’t continue to get richer while claiming it was what Jesus would have wanted. As for Batman, I would have preferred someone dressed as Wonder Woman. It makes me wonder how entrenched the Catholic church is in protecting patriarchy at all costs. Mary Magdalene, turned her into a prostitute then reversed this two millenia later.

Posted by Bonnie on Saturday, May 11, 2013 5:24 PM (EDT):

I live in Aurora Colorado and attend Mass at St. Michael the Archangel church. Every Mass transports me to place before the throne of God in such a meaningful way. What I just read about Masses in other places scares me! I will pray diligently for churches world wide to hunger and thirst for the goodness of a Mass celebrated properly, knowing that it is the Lord’s and His presence deserves the very best!

Posted by Kevin Burgess on Saturday, May 11, 2013 4:45 PM (EDT):

Instead of ‘celebrating’ why not say ‘Offering’ as in ‘Offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass’ ?

Posted by CA on Saturday, May 11, 2013 4:22 PM (EDT):

I really, really, want to believe what the author is saying about then AB putting up no resistance to the Extraordinary Form Mass, but I have read nothing supporting this, and plenty refuting this (Rorate Caeli and the like).

A citation would go a long way if one is available, so we’re not going “yes he did!”, “no he didn’t!” like little kids.

Posted by JB on Saturday, May 11, 2013 2:31 PM (EDT):

Unfortunately, this text is not reliable.

That Buenos Aires has so many extraordinary form masses is, at best, half-true as such masses are offered by the SSPX, not by the Diocese.

Posted by Ryan of NJ on Saturday, May 11, 2013 2:24 PM (EDT):

I hope he did more than “ask” priests to stop using sweet potatoes for the Mass, as that would mean those “masses” were invalid! Bread and wine only!

Posted by Sieber on Saturday, May 11, 2013 12:26 PM (EDT):

Wait! He requested that his prists refrain from “consecrating” sweet potatoes.
Also, I would like a once and for all proof that these EF Masses were under his jurisdiction. Many sources have claimed that the area of his jurisdiction was actually quite limited in the capitol city; that he allowed only one EF Mass in the crypt of a church, that it was a hybrid with novus ordo readings read by lay folk. Further, this hybrid dicouraged the congregation to the extent that it dwindeled from 100 to almost nothing & was discontinued. If this is a canard, let it be settled once & for all. Facts, proofs please. Not opinions!!

Posted by Ron Langhals on Saturday, May 11, 2013 12:06 PM (EDT):

Why is a “reggae” mass more annoying than a Latin Mass?

Posted by Jon Wood on Saturday, May 11, 2013 12:05 PM (EDT):

So, why does the Register feel they need to make excuses for our Holy Father. Basically here I read that as Arch Bishop he had more important things to do other than promote a True and reverent Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You might as well use this rag for a doggie paper for all the worth it offers Roman Catholics seeking religious news and updates without the secular commentary. This is an idiotic spur of the moment explanation of something we as faithful Roman Catholics can wait for the Holy Spirit to teach us how best to follow Christ’s Vicar on earth. Dump the junk and just give us the facts!!

Posted by JLM on Saturday, May 11, 2013 10:31 AM (EDT):

“However, he put up no resistance to it (Extraordinary Form of the Mass) either. Following Summorum Pontificum, he made the traditional Mass readily available. In fact, Buenos Aires is probably the Latin-American city with the largest number of Masses celebrated in the extraordinary form.”

Alejandro,

Your statement regarding the EF and Summorum Pontificum is misinformed. The Traditional Mass and the implementation of SP were followed closely by the Rorate Caeli blog long before Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope. I refer you and your dear readers to the following:

This rings so true—thank you for writing it! My impression as I was helping to edit a collection of Cdl. Bergoglio’s homilies and addresses (Encountering Christ, coming out at the end of this month) was how warmhearted and fatherly he was, but not at the expense of tradition or orthodoxy.

Posted by Tricia on Saturday, May 11, 2013 9:37 AM (EDT):

Thank you very much for this. Like many, I was alarmed at some of the apparent reversals of Vatican liturgy and especially the Holy Thursday washing of womens’ feet. This helps to put our new Holy Father’s background in perspective. I am grateful for his defense of the liturgy discussed here.

Posted by Devra on Friday, May 10, 2013 11:47 PM (EDT):

Thank you for writing this! These are details I hadn’t heard before, but they ring so true from what I know of Papa Francis from helping translate and edit a series of his homilies and addresses (for Encountering Christ, to be put out by Scepter by the end of the month). That seems so like him—neither being sloppy about liturgy nor coming down with criticism and punishment, but sending them to rest, caring for them himself, taking on their work for them. He strikes me as so very fatherly, neither naive nor cynical. People have asked me if there’s cause to worry about his orthodoxy or care for liturgy and tradition. I tell them no, and everything I read confirms that more and more.

Posted by answers please on Friday, May 10, 2013 7:32 PM (EDT):

From a site that sells these statues:

“Santa Muerte in a Black Robe is for total protection or for revenge (which I strongly discourage). She is a very powerful Deity and I feel it is best to request her assistance with positive intentions.
Santa Muerte in a Purple Robe is to bring health to you and your loved ones.
These statues are perfect for an Altar, however be certain to give La Flaca her own space. She is a very jealous Deity and should not be placed in proximity to other Deities. Her Altar should ideally be on a high shelf or tall dresser (place her where you are not looking down at her, but always looking up). She should be honored and a connection should be established prior to petitioning her for any blessings. Keep her Altar clean and neat, always have two glasses on hand (one for fresh water, the other for tequila or rum, additional offerings should include some of her favorites; cigars, fresh fruits, flowers, chocolates, bread, tortillas or rice.)
I personally burn incense and candles as often as possible and make certain to keep a candle on the Altar at all times. I hope you find this information helpful as you start your mystical journey. Blessings.”

The Quinceanera parities in Church, incorporated into a Mass, and there is no other way to describe it, with the black lace on flowers in front of the BVM statue, yards and yards of hot pink and black ribbon on the Altar flowers, balloons and long streamers hanging from the ceiling are another example of secular and materialism thrust into the liturgy.

I hope His Holiness will address this and other heresies that have come into the Catholic US culture via the neighbors to the south.

When I question these things, the response is “It is their culture, no harm done.”

Posted by Greg on Friday, May 10, 2013 7:25 PM (EDT):

“priest celebrating with vestments portraying Batman and Robin while squirting holy water with a green-and-red water pistol in Mexico” - Horror! I request to change the article and putting quotes around “celebrating”. My Lord, forgive us, for it is our sins that nailed You to the Cross!

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